Quote:
Originally Posted by Historybuff
In '67 Parnelli Jones drove a Ken Wallis-designed turbine car for STP and almost won but a $6 bearing broke. The designer of that car, Ken Wallis, went over to Shelby and designed a new turbine car for him for the '68 season.
The turbine car was built and Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren selected as drivers but they withdrew before the race (anybody know why?).
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There were 2 Shelby turbine cars built. After the previous years rout by P.J. in the STP car a new rule was inplimented to reduce the air inlet (restrictor plate) of the turbine cars to even the playing field. USAC
asked Mr. Shelby to take
his cars home after it was descovered that they had an "adjustable anulis" that allowed the cars to intake more air as the speed rose. His statment that the cars "needed more development" was standard bs when ever Carroll got caught with his hands in the cookie jar. The proof is severial other turbine cars competed and did well on the circut during the '68 season.
One of the cars was in Shelby's Gardena tire wherehouse during the 90's. My memory does not recall where it went. It will come to me and I'll post it.